Improvement in machines for gathering stones



M. MILLER.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING STONE.

Patented Dec. 28,187.5.

3 www UNITED STATES MOSES MILLER, OE EAST ORANGE TOWNSHE?, ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JE RSEY,

PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES Een GATHERiNe s'roNE's.

specification formihg 'im of Letters Patent No. 171,579, dated Deeniber 28,' 18155 application-Elea l June 11, 1875.

To all whom 'it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, MOSES MILLER, of the township of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Gathering and Removing Stones from Land; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference thereon, which form a part 'of this specification.

The natnreand object f this invention are toV facilitate the operation of gatheringand picking up stones lying upon, or near to, the surface-ofthe ground, in order to clear such ground for agricultural or other purposes.

My invention consists inthe construction of.

a machine 'combining certain mechanical ap-A pliances, fitte-d for and adapted to thesev purposes, as will be hereinafter, more fully set forth and shown.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a stonegathering machine combining my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken through the lines y flhe beams A and'B constitute aframe-Work or' platform, to or on which the different parts of the mechanism are attached, the whole being supported upon wheels C and D. The scoop or picker A', which is 'adjustable-that is, made to krise and vlower-is composed of a series of lingers, a, and side pieces b, and is pivoted to depending arms c on each side of ,the frame, and raised andl lowered by means of a lever, E, and arms F, (see Fig. 2,) as occasion may require. A box or receptacle, G, (see Fig. 2,) to hold the stones, is supported beneath the frame by depending arms c and d, the bottom of which is composed of a series of bars, e, (see Fig. 1,) forming a sort of grate, and is provided withl a door, H, (see Fig. 2,) in theback end, made to open and close, to be operated by the driver from his seat on the frame, as also are other parts of the'lmachin'e, by meansbf a lever, f, and rod g, connecting therewith, (see Figf2 or, if preferred, one end ofthe bottom may be made to drop, for the purpose of dis charging a load.

The machine is alsoproyided with two rakes,

I, one on each side, designed to operate auf tomaticall'y in conjunction with the scoop or picker, and whose united Width is equal there' to, or nearly so, their function being to rake the stones as they a-re'taken up by the picker back into the box or receptacle G, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Said rakes are operated from -cog-wheels K, best shown in Fig. 2, on each.

side ofthe machine, as follows: One of saidcog-wheels is rigidly secured to a shaft, m, on each sideof the machine, and is made to revolve as the machine is beingd drawn over the ground, the wheels C being, as a matter of course, also rigidly secured to Said shafts, each latter being produced by the slotted arms or guides o, through which vthe handles ot' the rakes move, and for the purpose of preventing the rake-teeth while moving forward from coming in contact With'the stoneson the picker. (See Fig. 2.)

It will be seen that the rear ends of the rakes are carried upward as they move back, so that the rake-heads will4 traversel in contact with the picker, raising the stones upon the samel -into the receptacle G, while upon the forward movement of each rake it will bear atthelower end of the slot o as a fulcrum, and its forward end will be elevated free from the picker as it passes over the same, and will then suddenlyV descend in front of the stones collected at the front end of the picker. i

As two rakes are employed,operating independently, the outer rake will continue in action, gathering the Stones collected at the outer eind of the picker when the apparatus is beingturned,while'theinuer rake will be nearly stationary, resuming its operation as the ma! chine moves forward.A As the picker is composed of a series of bars, no dust or .small stones will be collected, while the construction of the bottom of the Areceptacle G, in a similar g erally on the axle.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters manner permits the escape of the detritus and small broken, stones, resulting from the fractnre of the larger stones while being carried. Anothradvantage from eonstrntin g the picker asdescrihed is, that one or more of the bars a, may yield. under undue pressure without any other injury than the bending or fraeture of the light rod s, binding them together.

Provision is made also for throwing the .cogk wheels above' referred'to in and ont of gear whenever desired, by means of a suitable shifter, s, located so as to be convenient to the driver, and moving the forward wheels K lat- Having thus described my invention, what Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, in a stone-gatherer, of a l picker, A', receptacle G, and two independ entrakes, each operated from yone of the wheels, moving forward over the picker, descending 'suddenly in front thereof', and traversing the MOSES MILLER.

Witnesses: f

OLIVER DEAKE', J osEPH M. MILLER. 

